Native

Stars: Rupert Graves, Ellie Kendrick

Director: Daniel Fitzsimmons

A minimalist, very cerebral piece of sci-fi that's about as far from Star Trek and Star Wars as it's possible to get.

Apart from a few voices (back at base) and half-seen faces, this is a two-person scenario, with Graves and Kendrick as astronauts sent on a mission to a faraway planet, there to wipe out the native population with a virus, so paving the way for future colonisation.

Given the film's non-existent budget, you might guess where they're bound for.

It seems from the start that Graves' Cain is a couple of planets short of a galaxy, but, even as he seems to be unravelling, this is not where the film is heading.

The movie is very slow, but its performances are as good as the personality-drained circumstances will permit. And, mercifully, there's a little bit of action at the end.

You get the feeling, though, that this could have been told as a 20-minute programme filler to much the same effect. It does, however, provide a new entry for lovers of bizarre credits: Skin Care Provider!

David Quinlan

UK 2016. UK Distributor: Miracle Communications. Colour by Arri.
86 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 19 Feb 2018